


Who Are You

by moonstars689



Category: NU'EST
Genre: Halloween, M/M, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-10-26
Packaged: 2020-12-21 11:42:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21074324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonstars689/pseuds/moonstars689
Summary: How familiar is Jonghyun with his familiar?or this is my contribution to Halloween and I love vampires lmao





	1. Halloween Party

Jonghyun hated Halloween and begged Minhyun not to make him go to Minki’s party all the way up to the door. It was the one time of year everyone mingled and Jonghyun wasn’t sure if it was because he was an air witch or because he was introverted, but every turn of emotion and every scent was always super overwhelming. With a vampire’s enhanced senses, he wondered why the noise and the smells didn’t bother Minhyun. Minhyun offered the very helpful tip of “just stop breathing” and Jonghyun almost punched him.

Most witches familiars were cats or other animals, though some more powerful ones like Minki had demons under their beck and call, a vampire couldn’t be controlled by a witch unless there was some dark blood magic involved so Jonghyun and Minhyun were somewhat celebrities in their circles. Jonghyun didn’t think it was anyone’s business to explain how it happened and Minhyun playfully joked that he had just been thirsty and no one wanted to hear the rest. Minhyun was a bit silly and rarely interacted with anyone other than his usual ragtag group of friends so no one acknowledged him as much of a threat. It was only Minki who had been incredibly suspicious at first, warning Jonghyun that Minhyun was much older than he looked. Jonghyun had to laugh at that - what vampire wasn’t?

This year’s theme was movie monsters and though Jonghyun thought to go as Godzilla would be funny, but after much convincing, he ended up dressed as Dracula, and Minhyun was dressed as Harry Potter. Minhyun squeezes his hand in reassurance before opening the door to go inside. He might as well have been squeezing his heart. Relationships between humanoid familiars and witches were always complicated, much like vampires and their makers. Jonghyun was just friends with Minhyun, he was just helping him as a friend when they had made their deal it was because that’s what a friend would do. The way he got butterflies anytime Minhyun got close had nothing to do with friendship. The man himself offered to go get him a drink and left him alone - the last thing he wanted. He focused his energy to find Minki and wandered towards the back of the living room where the water witch was talking to his demon companion, Dongho. They greeted him and he asked where Aron was. Maybe it was because he liked animals, but that werewolf put him at ease, though he would never tell him that.

“Hi everyone!” Minhyun greeted, handing Jonghyun a glass.

They greeted him back and he also asked for Aron who came as if called and tickled Minhyun’s stomach. Jonghyun wished he could touch him so easily. It was absurd how cute he could be for such an old man. As they split up to talk to people and Jonghyun found his favorite ghost Taeyong, the party didn’t seem all that bad. Jonghyun was talking to new people until one woman, a dullahan, who typed her words on her phone asked how long he had known Minhyun. They hadn’t been talking about him so the question came as a surprise.

“A few years,” he had answered.

“Not long enough,” she replied and showed him her response. He didn’t like her response and the sudden bubbling up of anxiety made Minhyun come running, stopping short when he saw who Jonghyun was with.

Back straight and face schooled into no particular expression, he stared into the space where her head should have been. “What are you doing here?”

“So it is true,” she typed out. “He’ll be so disappointed in you.”

“He has other sons, it doesn’t matter what I do. Is this what you do now? Act as a gossip? You used to be quite frightening yourself.”

“You always were my favorite, Marcello. I won’t say anything,” she wrote back and though Jonghyun was using a trick to translate the words he didn’t know, but the name confused him.

“I think it’s time we go,” Minhyun said like an order that sounded final. He didn’t sound like he usually did. Then, his cold, firm hand wrapped around Jonghyun’s arm like a vice and he was marched away.

“What was that about?”

“A dullahan wouldn’t come to this country for no reason. I don’t doubt she could still kill a human where they stood,” he frowned. “I’m not sure why one of her kind is doing the snooping, but I won’t let anything happen to you. You’re mine.”

Jonghyun frowned. He didn’t understand what was going on and he didn’t like the idea that Minhyun - the worst liar he had ever met - was keeping something from him.

“You’re not my anything when I don’t even know you,” Jonghyun hissed.

“Don’t walk away from me,” Minhyun grabbed his wrist.

“Stop that,” Jonghyun snapped and Minhyun released him immediately. “Are you going to explain?”

“Not here.”

“Then when?”

“Let’s go home.”

“I don’t want to go home with you.”

“I’m not going to let you go by yourself under these circumstances.”

“Then I guess you better explain these circumstances now,” Jonghyun was feeling more anxious the more he tried to remember what a dullahan was. He trusted Minhyun, but what was this other name - other life - he had been leading? The more he thought about it, how much did he know about Minhyun?


	2. An Explanation

Minhyun sighed, very aware of everyone in the immediate area staring at them, including the dullahan. “Can we at least go upstairs?” Minhyun asked and Jonghyun could at least agree to that. In Minki’s room, with a silencing spell, so no one would hear them, Jonghyun sat on the bed and waited for Minhyun to speak.

“Have you ever heard of a vampire named Marius?” Minhyun asked.

“No.”

Minhyun sighed. “If you need me to explain something, just stop me.”

Minhyun launched into the harrowing way he was made. Marius wasn’t the oldest living vampire at the time, but he was well on his way to building his fantasy empire. He wanted a child he could control in every country, every corner of the world, and for every vampire to defer to him. It wasn’t unlike the world he saw growing up as the Romans extended their reach throughout the world, but he could do it better, make it last, and to an extent he did. Minhyun, like his siblings, was carefully chosen and groomed. To this day, he still did things for his maker though he didn’t have much choice. After an incident that Minhyun wasn’t ready to talk about (Jonghyun didn’t press him), he didn’t hold Minhyun in a vice-like grip as he once used to.

Marius was powerful, well-connected, and unperturbed by the prejudices between races which is why he often worked with other creatures, like dullahans, to do his dirty work. Dullahans weren’t worldwide phenomena, but he could make it so and Aoife had been in touch with the family for a long time. It wasn’t just a coincidence that they would run into her at Minki’s party. Minhyun knew the fact that he’d become a witch’s familiar would cause an issue for Marius. Familiars did the bidding of their witches and, depending on the nature of the connection, could outweigh a maker’s orders. Aoife could have just been there to determine how close he and Jonghyun were or she could have been there just to confirm the truth and deliver information. If it was the latter, he was concerned that someone would be coming for Jonghyun because the only way for the connection to be severed would be the death of either party.

"Well, I wish you had told me all this information ages ago, what if someone else had come earlier? When we first made the pact," Jonghyun asked.

"I haven't been home in a hundred years, I didn't think it mattered as long as I still did things when he asked," Minhyun admitted. "I've always been a filial son."

"Is this why you won't tell me what you do for him? In case I stop you?" 

"No, I don't tell you because it's usually unpleasant and being with you has been the happiest I've been in a long time."

Jonghyun blushed. He knew Minhyun was being genuine, but they had never directly addressed "feelings". They were friends and when they made the pact (and other times) Minhyun had to drink from him, but before each time Minhyun explained that he would probably feel attracted to him though he didn't mean to make him feel like that - it was a known side effect of the process. Minhyun spent most of his time doing anything to make himself look, feel, and act the opposite from a "normal" vampire. 

"Is there anything we can do?" Jonghyun asked.

"I don't know. Lay low, I guess. Act normal." Minhyun shrugged. 

Jonghyun got up and hugged him. He was always cold, but Jonghyun didn't mind. "I won't let anything happen to you either, you know. You're mine too." 


	3. November

When they exited the room at the party, the atmosphere was noticeably different. The dullahan had left, but their friends were looking at them in concern. Ren was the first to descend upon Jonghyun and start asking questions to see if he was okay and if they could do anything to help. Dongho offered to track the dullahan down and Aron offered to accompany him. Minhyun assured them that it wasn't anything they couldn't handle and that they should enjoy the party. The dullahan was nothing more than a messenger. Though they didn't look as though they believed them, they dispersed so as not to attract more unnecessary attention and the party continued into the early morning. Minhyun didn't sleep at night, but Jonghyun did. He was desperately trying to stay awake as they made their way home on the bus. When they got off at their stop, Minhyun insisted on piggybacking Jonghyun the rest of the way. 

"I really won't let anything happen to you," Jonghyun mumbled nonsensically into the back of Minhyun's neck. 

"I know you wouldn't," he replied, half laughing. 

"Okay, I'm glad you know," Jonghyun smiled and dozed off only to awaken again in his bed as Minhyun was trying to pull his jeans off. "Wow, this is very forward of you."

Minhyun laughed. "You'd be uncomfortable sleeping like that, but now that you're up, you can do it yourself," he moved to get off the bed and Jonghyun grabbed his wrist. 

"I...want you to do it," Jonghyun murmured, but he knew Minhyun heard him. He could hear anything. 

Minhyun looked at him in surprise. "I don't know if that's such a good idea."

Jonghyun's face burned in the dark. A rejection. Unfortunately, he was very tired and mistakenly shared his thoughts with Minhyun, making him gasp. 

"You like me...that way?" Minhyun asked in wonder. 

"Yes, I wouldn't say that if I didn't mean it," Jonghyun sat up and put his hand on Minhyun's cheek, signaling with a nod that this was ok. 

***

Jonghyun woke up first in the early evening. Minhyun's skin was still cold, but slightly flushed since he had "eaten" and his eyes were closed. He would be up soon since the sun was going down, but Jonghyun figured he could get his day started. He had made a list of what charms he had to work on for the shop and was about to get started when there was a knock on the door. He couldn't imagine who it could be but went to check. Before he could even leave the kitchen, Minhyun was at the door. 

"Jju-yah, it's the dullahan and she has her whip," he said quietly. "You have to get out of here."

"Open the door, please, or I'll say his name," she called.

"How is she talking?" Jonghyun looked mortified. 

"She has her head with her. If she says your name, you'll die-"

"But if she says your name-"

"I can't die again, it's okay," Minhyun explained, looking for a way to get Jonghyun out. If she did say his name and he didn't hear it, he would be okay. "I'm not sure I can get you out fast enough with her knowledge."

Jonghyun frowned. "Get out of the way."

"Jonghyun, no," Minhyun insisted, plastering himself against the door to block the way. 

"Marcello, you heard him, open the door. You know you won't be able to help him and I'm willing to make a deal if you let me in," she responded. 

Jonghyun hated using magic on people. He had always been a healer, happy in his little shop selling charms and potions to make people feel better and content. His magic wasn't easily controllable - the air was the most difficult of the elements and even the best of witches still had slip-ups controlling the "invisible element". Jonghyun barely practiced after a terrifying incident when he was young in which he was so excited, he almost blew his family home away, but today he could make an exception. Minhyun was flung to the side and the door flew open with a bang. Both he and the dullahan were shocked when Jonghyun wrapped a gold chain around her neck, rendering her immobile. 

"Leave us alone," he pulled and her head rolled off. Before it could say anything, it went up in flames. The rest of her body disintegrated into dust in his hands and Minhyun painstakingly detached himself from the entry wall. 

"How did you...do that?" he asked, eyes wide. 

Jonghyun frowned and put the gold chain in his hand. "I told you I hated Halloween."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this little ficlet and that everyone has a happy Halloween!

**Author's Note:**

> This is in the same verse as my vampire ficlets on twitter:
> 
> https://twitter.com/moonstars689/status/1128090109167972352?s=20
> 
> https://twitter.com/moonstars689/status/1171542897910571008?s=20


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